Malaysia Airlines MH370 Debris Hunt: Australia Suspends Indian Ocean Search Due to Bad Weather

Flight Lieutenant Russell Adams (L) and Flight Engineer Scott Jones look out from the cockpit of a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion aircraft while searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 over the southern Indian OceanReuters

Bad weather has forced Australia to suspend the ongoing search for debris of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in a remote stretch of the southern Indian Ocean.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has announced that vessels and surveillance aircraft will not be heading to the search zone.

AMSA said on its Twitter account: "All planes are returning to Perth & ships are leaving search area."

Six military jets, five commercial aircraft and five ships – HMAS Success and four Chinese vessels - were expected to take part in the debris hunt nearly 2,500kms off Perth.

The military aircraft planned to be deployed included two Australia's P3 Orions, Japan's Gulfstream jet and a P3 Orion and the US Navy's P8 Poseidon.

Although several floating objects have been sighted both by satellites and volunteer observers aboard search aircraft, none of them have been confirmed to be directly linked to the missing jetliner.

Australian jets had earlier spotted three objects but they could not be relocated despite many attempts.

This will be the second time the search operations are being suspended owing to stormy weather.

The search crew is likely to resume its hunt later if the weather clears.